Carriage clamp



Sept. 16, 1941. ZADEK 2,256,107

CARRIAGE CLAMP Filed June 21, 1940 fikfiwuza Met INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. '16,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in carriage clamps and especially to that type which is provided with a reinforced intermediate bridge piece with clamping members at opposite ends thereof.

It is generally known to use clamps in connection with baby carriages and the like for clamping bed clothes to a base or mattress, and, whereas originally such clamps Were used separately along the side portions of the bed clothes to be held, it has been found that by holding down the midportions as well as the sides of the bed clothes, the chances of the child becoming uncovered are almost completely avoided and the bed clothes themselves remain neat and smoothly spread over the mattress and child.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a clamp of this character, which comprises a bridge or spanning piece and integral clamping members at opposite ends thereof.

A further object of the invention is to afford ample reinforcing means in the bridge portion as well as in the clamping members of the carriage clamp to insure durable and serviceable performance of the device.

One embodiment of my invention is described in the following specification, set forth in the appended claim and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a substantially transverse sectional View of a supporting base and bed clothes showing my clamping device in side elevation as it appears in applied position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the bridge portion and integral clamping member at the end thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, I denotes the base support which may be the sides of a carriage or crib, and II the bed clothes or covers as they appear when stretched across the mattress and folded over the supports ID.

The clamp proper comprises a transversely arched midsection I2 which forms a bridge transversely spanning the center portion of the carriage and yieldably pressing downwardly upon the coverings I I, as illustrated in Figure 1. 0p-

posite ends of the midsection I2 are shaped to constitute normally abutting jaws I3, which in operation are spread and clamped onto the base supports I0 and the overlying sides of the bed clothes II.

The clamping device is constructed preferably of Celluloid or other non-metallic resilient material and is formed of a ribbonlike strip of the material. The transverse section of the ribbon is illustrated particularly in Figure 3. The ribbon is provided on its upper face with longitudinal side beads I4 and slightly convex mid portion I5, the under side of the ribbon being provided with a longitudinally disposed rib I6 Which runs throughout the mid section I2 and clamping jaw I3 along a central line of the material. The rib I6 affords the necessary reinforcement for the device, whereby the mid section I2 yieldably rests upon the bed clothes and the clamping jaws I3 firmly embrace and grip the supports III and intermediate layers of the covers I! to hold the latter in a desired position. The rib I6 is disposed on the inside of the jaws l3 and in addition to being a reinforcing medium, is also used to bite into the soft coverings I I and as a consequence more firmly hold them against the supports I0.

The specific form of the clamping jaws I3 shown comprises a heart shaped arrangement bent upright from each end of the bridge section I2, the outside or free jaw of each pair being flared outwardly at its free end IT. The slightly inwardly directed mid portion I8 of the crown or closed end of the heart shaped jaw is disposed to engage and further hold the bed covering II against the upper end of the base support I0.

What I claim is:

A one piece carriage clamp comprising a strip of resilient material having an upwardly arched midportion and a centrally disposed rib projecting therefrom throughout the entire length of the clamp, and, on each end, the material is formed into a substantially heart-shaped downwardly open resilient gripping jaw, the closed ends of said jaws being disposed in a horizontal plane considerably above the apex of said arched midportion.

ARTHUR ZADEK. 

